NHL legend Mike Bossy, best remembered as the prolific goal scorer who was lynchpin of the New York Islanders' four consecutive Stanley Cup championships in the early 1980's, passed away yesterday of lung cancer. He was 65.
Though I grew up in Canada, I was never a big hockey fan. However, Bossy made a lasting impression. In an era which saw the emergence of Wayne Gretzky, the only player who rivalled him in stature during his early career was Bossy. In his 10-year career, Bossy scored 50 or more goals in 9 consecutive seasons. During the 1980-1981 season, Bossy scored 50 goals in 50 games matching Maurice "Rocket" Richard's achievement with the Montreal Canadiens in the 1944-1945 season. This achievement would later be matched by Gretzky, Mario Lemieux and Brett Hull. A chronic back injury ended the Montreal native's playing career at the age of 30. His 573 goals are 22nd on the NHL's All-Time List.
I also liked Bossy because he publicly eschewed fighting, an aspect of the game which has always turned me off. Bossy was thrice honored with Lady Byng Memorial Trophy for good sportsmanship.
Although he was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1991, the Islanders did not see fit to bring him back in any capacity until he was given a front office position in 2006. Bossy did serve as a hockey analyst in both English and in French on the MSG Networks and on TVA in Quebec.
Considering his contributions to the game, Mike Bossy deserved far more recognition. R.I.P.
No comments:
Post a Comment